Apparatus for contracting a ring about a body



5 .1932! A. w. PHELPS APPARATUS FOR CONTRACTING A RING ABOUT A BODY Filed Aug. 15, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet l 16 A. W. PHELPS wmw APPARATUS FOR CONTRACTING A RING ABOUT A BODY Filed Au 15, 1929 e Sheets Sheet 2 Aug. 16, 1932. A EL S APPARATUS FOR CONTRACTING A RING ABOUT A BODY Filed Aug. 15, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Aug. 16, 1932. A; w. PHELPS 1,871,915

APPARATUS FOR CONTRACTING A RING ABOUT A BODY Filed Aug. 15, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Ml! law 73,71 w m;

I dttouwqq Aug. 16, 1932. A. w. PHELPS APPARATUS FOR CONTRACTING A RING ABOUT A BODY 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 15, 1929 //i I W Aug.- 16, 1932. 1 w, PHELPS 1,871,915

APPARATUS FOR CONTRACTING RING ABOUT A BODY Filed Aug. 15, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFEE ALVA W. PHELPS, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO DELCO-REMY CORPORATION, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE APPARATUS FOR CONTRACTING A RING ABOUT A BODY Application filed August 15, 1929. Serial No. 386,191.

This invention relates to apparatus for contracting a ring or band about another object and more particularly for contracting a metal ring about a shaft in order to provide the shaft with a shoulder for the purpose of limiting the movement of the shaft or for retaining some object which is placed upon the shaft. It had been the practice to manufacture a shaft having a shoulder from w a round bar at least as large in diameter as the diameter of the shoulder, the shoulder being produced by cutting away the material on either side of the shoulder so that the main body of the shaft would have a diameter substantially less than that of the shoulder. This process was inherently wasteful on account of the material wasted and the labor required for removing it from the bar of stock in order to provide the shoulder. An improvement over this old process is described and claimed in the J. J. Carter Patent 1,463,144, patented July 24, 1923, which claims a process of manufacture of a shaft having a shoulder which consists in providing the shaft with a groove, in making a washer having a thickness less than the width of the groove, and an internal diameter slightly greater than a portion of the shaft whereby the washer may be readily placed in alignment with the groove, in supporting the washer axially while squeezing the washer so as to reduce its internal diameter and to increase its thickness whereby the groove will be substantially occupied by a portion of the washer.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide improved apparatus for carrying on the process of the Carter patent, more rapidly and efliciently than heretofore possible. In order to accomplish this object, the apparatus comprises a conveyor carrying a plurality of work holding devices each of which receives a ring and a shaft or other cylindrical body, a ring-contracting mechanism, means for automatically moving the conveyor in order to bring the work holders successively to the ring-contracting mechanism, and means for automatically ejecting from the conveyor the permanently assembled ri-ng-and-shaft assemblies.

.ing groove 21, which has a width greater bodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation showing on a larger scale than Fig. 1, the ringcontracting mechanism, the conveyor and mechanism for operating the latter.

Fig. 3 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2. V

Fig. 4 is a sectional View on the line 4;4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5a; is a sectional view on the line 5a-5d of Fig. 5.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the work conveyor and is drawn twice the size of Figs. 2 and 8.

Figs. 8 and 9 are sectional views taken respectively on the lines 88 and 99 of Fi 7.

Fig. 10 is a sectional View on the line 1010 of Fig. 2 but showing the ring-contracting device separated from the work holder and the condition of the work pieces before being permanently assembled.

Fig. 11 is a View similar to Fig. 10 but shows the relative positions of the work holder and the ring-contractor when the ring has been contracted around the shaft.

12 is a modified form of part of one of the work holding sockets.

Figs. 10 and 11 show how the process de- 90 scribed and claimed in the Carter patent is carried out. Referring to these figures, numeral 20 designates a shaft, which has been provided with a ring or washer receivthan the thickness of the washer 22 and has a bottom diameter slightly less than the inside diameter of the washer whichv may be readily passed over the shaft, as shown in Fig. 10. The shaft and washer are supported by a work holding device which comprises a table 24 supporting a pair of anvil members or jaws 25 having semicylindrical notches 26 adapted to receive and closely embrace the shaft when the jaws are in close proximity to the shaft. In a manner to be described the anvil members 25 may be separated to facilitate removal of the shaft 20. The table 24 provides a notch 27 through which the shaft 20 extends and the shaft 20 is retained within this notch by a pair of steel balls 28, each guided by block 29, and pressed by a spring 30 against the shaft. Each block 29 has a ball and spring receiving passage 31 closed at one end by plug 32, and so shaped at the other end that the ball 28 may project only part way into the space between the blocks 29. As shown in Fig. 8, each block 29 is secured to the table 24 by screws 33. The lower end of the shaft rests upon a rod or plunger 34, slidable within a recess provided centrally in the cap 35 of a work-supporting post 36 with which the cap is threadedly engaged at 37. The post 36 provides a recess for a spring 38 which urges the plunger 34 upwardly into the position shown in Fig. 10, its upward movement, however, being limited due to the fact that the plunger 34 carries a shoulder 39, which engages a shoulder 40, provided by the pedestal cap 35.

The mechanism for contracting the ring or washer 22 about the shaft 20 comprises a die having an internal conical surface 51,

which is adapted to engage the washer 22 and to squeeze it into the groove 21, as shown in Fig. 11, when the member 50 is moved into proximity to the anvil members 25. The die 50 is retained as an insert within a pressure block cap 52 by a screw 53. The cap 52 is located with respect to a pressure block 54 by dowel pins 55, and is secured to the pressure block by screws 56. The pressure block 54 is attached by screws 57 to a stem or shank member 58 by which the block is attached in any suitable manner to a vertically movable slide or cross head 59 of a punch press designated as a whole by numeral 60 in Fig. 1. The cross head 59 is vertically slidable between suitable ways provided by the punch press frame 61 which also supports an operating shaft 62 carrying a fly wheel63 and providing an eccentric 64 which cooperates with a strap 65 connected with a pitman 66 having a ball and socket connection 67 with the cross head 59.

The die 50 is tubular so that it may receive a tubular work clamping block 70 which receives the upper end portion 20a of the shaft 20 and which is attached to a bar 71 slidable within a suitable recess 72 provided by the pressure block 54. The bar 71 includes extensions 71a to each of which there is secured a spring retainer cup 73 by a screw 74. Each cup 73 receives a spring 75 hearing at its upper against a portion 75 of the pressure block 54. The lower end of the clamp block 7 O is provided with a recess 70a the depth of which is equal to the width of a knurled collar portion 20b of shaft 20. When the punch press head 59 moves downwardly to force the die 50 around the washer 22 before the washer 22 is contracted into the groove 21, the clamp block recess 70a will first receive the collar 20?), will engage the upper surface 200 thereof, and will cause the shaft 20 to move from the position shown in Fig. 10 to the position shown in Fig. 11, in which latter position the washer 32 is yieldingly clamped between the block 70 and the anvil jaws 25. In this way the groove 21 is located directly above the anvil jaws 25 and in the plane of the washer 22. Therefore, the washer 22 will be directly contracted into the groove 21 while the washer 22 isheld upon the anvil jaws due to the action of springs 75. As the shaft 20 moves from the position shown in Fig. 10 to that shown in Fig. 11, the plunger 34 may move downwardly against spring 38 a distance depending on the length of that portion of shaft 20 which is below the groove 22. This dimension may vary, hence the cap 35 provides for a substantial movement of the plunger 34.

When the punch press head 59 moves to its upward position, shown in Fig. 10, the shaft 20 with the washer permanently assembled thereon, may return to the positionshown in Fig. 10, so that it may be readily removed from the table 24. Should the washer 22 tend to cling to the die 50, the shaft 20 will be ejected by a rod 80, which extends through bar 71 and the clamp block 70. Rod is attached at its upper end to a cross bar 82, which extends through a suitable opening provided by the pressure block 54. In order to secure the ejector rod 80 to the punch press frame in various positions of vertical adjustment, the bar 82 is provided at each end with a slot 83 through which passes a screw 84 threadedly engaging a bar 85 secured by screws 89 to the punch press frame 61. The bar 82 is stopped from vertical movement upwardly by engaging the lower end of a screw 86 threaded into a block 87, attached by screws 88 to the bar 85.

As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the table 24 is circular and carries adjacent its periphery a plurality of work holding devices, each device including a pair of anviljaws 25 and a pair of retaining balls 28. The anvil jaws 25 are pivotally connected with the plate 24 by screws 90 and each pair of anvil jaws are urged into closed position by springs 91, which are located between the pairs of anvil j aws. Each spring 91 is normally in a state of compression so that it forces one anvil jaw of each'of two pairs of anvil jaws into eugagement with its companion. The table 24 rests upon the flange 93 of a pedestal 94 hav iii) ing a hub provided with bearings 96, which are journalled upon a stationary pedestal post 97 connected at the lower end with a disk 98 attached by screws 99 to a bracket 100. The bracket 100 may be secured to the punch press frame 61 in various positions of vertical adjustment by screws 101, which pass through slots 102 in the bracket 100 and 102a in the frame 61 and cooperate with nuts 101a to clamp the bracket 100 to the punch. press frame. The pedestal 94 is provided adjacent its lower end with a flange 103, which carries as many equidistant locating bushings 104 as there are work holders upon the table 24. 'Each bushing 104 receives the shank 105 of one of the work supporting posts 36 which is press-fitted into a bushing 104. In order that the table 24 will be retained upon the pedestal 94 so that its work holding devices will be always in ali nment respectively with the posts 36 arising from the lower flange 103 of the pedestal 94, the table 24 is connected with the pedestal flange 93 by a plurality of dowel pins 106, one of which is shown in Fig. 9. The table 24 supports an annular block provided with radially extending grooves 111, each providing a guide for a bar 112, having a wedge-shaped end 113 adapted to move between the anvil jaws 25 of each pair in order to move the anvil jaws from a closed to an open position. The annular plate 110 is attached to the table 24 by screws 114. Each bar 112 is threadedly engaged by pivot screw 115 carrying a roller 116 received by a race 117 in a stationary cam 118 which is provided with a square hole fitting snugly over the squared upper end 119 of the pedestal rod 97. The squared end 119 also passes through square holes in a spacing block 120 and in a cover plate 121; and the parts 118, 120 and 121 are secured to the rod 97 by screws 122. Obviously the turning of the table 24 will cause certain bars 112 to move outwardly and others to move inwardly in order to change the positions of the work holding anvil jaws 25.

The table 24 is intermittently rotated in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 5 and 7, by a punch press operated mechanism which includes a ratchet attached in any suitable manner to the pedestal flange 103 and occupying a circular recess 131,. provided by a plate 132 upon which the pedestal directly rests, the plate 132 being attached to the bracket 100. The bracket 100 supports it engages a triangular plate 138 attached to the bar 134 to move the latter toward the left; and when the lever 140 swings toward the right, it engages a wall 139 of the recess 141 to move the har134 toward the right. Lever 140 is pinned to a shaft 142 supported by brackets 143 and 144. Bracket 143 is attached by screws 145 directly to the bracket 100. Bracket 144 is attached by screws 146 to the plate 133. Between a portion of the base of the bracket 144 and the plate 133, there is located a cover plate 147, which is secured to the plate 133 also by screws 146. The plate 147 extends over the bar 134 and is secured to plate 1.33 by screws 148 The plate 147 provides a notch 149 through which the lever 140 extends. To the shaft 142 there is pinned a lever 150 connected by a pin 151 with a clevis 152 attached to the lower end of the rod 153 connected by a turnbuckle 154 with a rod 155, connected at its upper end with an eye-member 156 pivotally connected with a crank disk 157 by a crank pin 158 which may be attached to the disk 157 in various positions of radial adjustment in order to vary the travel of the connecting rods and 153 and hence of the reciprocating bar 134. The crank disk 157 is attached to the punch press shaft 62 in such position that during the downstroke of the punch press head 69 the pawl 136 will be moved towards the left without moving the ratchet 130 and so that during the upstroke of the head 59, the pawl 136 will move toward the right as viewed in Fig. 6 in order to move the ratchet 130 and hence rotate the turn table 24 a distance corresponding to the angular spacing between the work holding devices. The turn table 24 is frictionally retained in the position into which it is turned by the pawl 136 M ode of operation The work holders are loaded, for example at station A or stations adjacent thereto, where the pairs of anvil jaws 25 are held open by the sliding bars 112 (see Fig. 7). Before the anvil jaws 25 are closed. the shaft 20 is retained in vertical position with the aid of the balls 28. The washer 22 may rest upon the anvil aws 25 even while they are separated. By the time the work has arrived at station B, where the contracting operation is performed upon the washer 22, the anvil jaws 25 will have been permitted to close around the shaft 20. The contracting operation is then performed as previously described with tion into an inclined position, thereby caus-' ing the shaft to be released from the balls 28 which retain it within the notch 27 of the table 24 and thus causing the shaft to fall from the table 24 and supporting post 36 into a suitable receptacle. Ejection of the work is facilitated by the fact that the socket spring 38 has returned the shaft 20 to the position shown in Fig. 10 in which its lower end extends but slightly into the socket provided by the post 36 and its cap 35. 7

At station B, where the contracting operation upon the washer 22 is perfo-rmec the work holding device is supported by a bracket 170 adjustably secured to the punch press frame 61 by screws 171. The bracket 170 carries a wear-piece 1'? 2 located directly beneath the blocks 29. lVhile pressure is being exerted from above upon the washer 22, to contract the same about the shaft 20, this pressure is transmitted from the table 2 1 through the block 29 to the wear-piece 172 and bracket 170 into the frame 61. In this way strains upon the pedestal 9 f and post 97, due to the eccentric loading of the table, are relieved. I

-The brackets 100 and 170 are both made adjustable vertically with respect to the punch press frame 61 in order to change or adjust the position of the work relative to the contracting die 50. The apparatus may be adjusted or adapted for shafts having different lengths as measured between the low er end of the shaft and the groove 21. This adaptation may be accomplished by substituting posts 36 of varying height or by substituting plungers 34 of different lengths. In some cases the shaft 20 may be so long that only a very short post 36 would be required. In order to accommodate such a shaft, the device shown in Fig. 12 may be substituted for the usual posts 36. Each bushing 104. in the lower flange 103 of thepedestal 9% receives a socket member 180, having a cap 181 attached by screws 182 and cooperating with said cap to provide a recess for a spring 183 and a plunger 184:, which receives the lower end of the shaft. The plunger 184- and spring 183 have functions corresponding respectively to the functions of elements 3 1 and 38 of Figs. 10 and 11.

l Vhile the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

lVhat is claimed is as follows:

1. Apparatus for contracting a ring about a body comprising, in combination, a workholder including an anvil for supporting the ring, means cooperating with the anvil for contracting the ring about the body, and means for retaining the body endwise in desired relation to the anvil, said means comprising a clamp block resiliently urging the ring against theanvil and engaging a partof the body to hold it in a definite relation to the anvil, and means resiliently urging the body against the clamp block.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 further characterized by the fact that the means for retaining the body endwise comprises a clamp block resiliently urging the ring against the anvil and engaging a part of the body to hold it in a definite relation to the anvil, a socket member receiving one end of the body, and a spring within the socket and urging the body toward the clamp block.

3. Apparatus for contracting a ring about a. body comprising in combination, a work holder comprising an anvil through which the body may extend and against which the ring rests while being contracted about the body, means for holding the body in a definite relation to the anvil, a reciprocating pressure head, a ringcontracting die carried by the head for engaging the ring while supported by the anvil, and stationary stripper including a part extending through the die to engage the body in case the ring clings to the die when moved away from the anvil.

4. Apparatus for contracting a ring about a body comprising in combination, a work holder comprising an anvil through which the body may extend and against which the ring rests while being contracted about the body, a'reciprocating pressure head, a ring contracting die carried by the head for engaging the ring while supported by the anvil, means for holding the body in a definite relation to the anviland including a clamping block carried by the pressure head for engaging a part of the body and for urging the ring against the anvil, and spring means for transmitting pressure from the pressure head yieldingly to the clamping block.

5. Apparatus for contracting a ring about a body comprising in combination, a work holder includingan anvil for supporting the ring and having movable body clamping jaws, means for operating the jaws, and means cooperating with the anvil for contracting the ring about the body while the jaws engage the body.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 further characterized by the fact that an ejector is provided for moving the body laterally from between the jaws while they are separated.

7 Apparatus for contracting a ringabout a body comprising in combination, a work holder comprising a table having a notch for receiving the body, an anvil supported by the table and having movable body clamping jaws which retain the body within the notch and which support the ring while it is being contracted about the body, and means for contracting the ring about the body while the anvil 'aws closely embrace the body.

8. pparatus according to claim 7 further characterized by the fact that means are provided for actuating the anvil j aws, and means are provided for ejecting the body from between the jaws when the aws are separated.

9. Apparatus according to claim 7 further characterized by the fact that means are provided for yieldingly retaining the body with in said notch before the jaws are closed about the body to support the same while the ring is bein contracted about it, and that means are provided for ejecting the body from the notch while the jaws are separated.

10. Apparatus for contractinga ring about a body comprising in combination, a. work holder including an anvil for supporting the ring and through which the body may extend, a socket member for receiving one end of the body, a stop for engaging av part of the body to locate the same relative to the anvil, a spring in the socket member to urge the body against the stop, means for contracting the ring about the body, and means for ejecting the body from the work holder.

11, Apparatus according to claim 10 further characterized by the fact that the stop member operates to clamp the ring against the anvil.

12. Apparatus for contracting a ring about a body comprising in combination, a work holder comprising an anvil adapted to receive the body and support the ring, a socket member for receiving one end of the body, a pressure head, aring contracting die carried by the pressure head and cooperating with the anvil to contract the ring about the body, a clamp block carried by he pressure head and adapted to engage the ring topress it against the anvil and adapted to engage the body to locate it relative to the anvil, a spring transmitting pressure from the pressure head to the clamp block, and a spring in the socket for pressing the body against the clamp block.

13. Apparatus for contracting a ring about a body comprising in combination, a work holder comprising a table having a notch for receiving the body and an anvil supported by the table in alignment with said notch and having separable jaws adapted to support the ring and to closely embrace the body when the jaws are moved together, a socket member for receiving one end of the body, pressure head, a ring contracting die carried by the pressure head and cooperating with the anvil to contract the ring about the body, a clamp block carried by the pressure head and adapted to engage the ring to press it against abody comprising in combination, a work holder comprising a table having a notch for receiving the body and an anvil supported by the table in alignment with said notch'and having separable jaws adapted to support the ring and to closely embrace the body when the aws are moved together, means- -for-resilicntly retaining-the body withinthe notch while the anvil jaws are separated, a socket member for receiving one end of thebody, a pressure head, a ring contracting die carried by the-pressure head and-cooperating with the anvil to contractthe ring about the body, a clamp block carried bythe pressure head and adapted to engage thering to press it against the anvil and adapted to engage the body to locate it relative to theanvil, a spring transmitting pressure from the pressure head to the clamp block,and a spring in the socket for pressing the body against the clamp block, and means for ejecting the body from the notch while the jaws are separated.

15. Apparatus for contracting a ring member about a body member comprising in combination, a conveyor, a plurality of work holders carried by the conveyor, each having jaws operated in response to movement of the conveyor for properly locating one ofthe members in the work holder and for supporting the other, and a device for contracting the-ring member about the body-member when the work holder carrying said members registers with said contracting device.

16. Apparatus for contracting aring member about a body member comprising in com bination, a conveyor, a plurality of work holderscarriedby the conveyor, each having jaws operatedinresponse to movement of the conveyor for properly locating one of the members in the work'holder and for support-. ing theother, and a device 'for. successively locating the supported member relative to the located member and c'ontractingthe ring member about the body member when the wo'r-k holder carrying said'members registers with said contracting device.

17. Apparatus for contracting a ring member about a body member comprising in combination, a conveyor, a plurality of work holders carried by the conveyor for supporting both members, each of said work holders having jaws operated in response to movement of the conveyor for properly locating i one of the members in each work holder, 2. device for contracting the ring member about the body member when the work holder carrying said members registers with said contracting device, and means for ejecting the completed work from the work holders when the jaws are separated.

18. Apparatus for contracting a ring about a body, comprising in combination, a conveyor, a plurality of work holders carried by the conveyor, each having jaws operated in response to movement of the conveyor for properly locating the body in its work holder 2 and for supporting the ring, and a device for successively locating the ring relative to the body and contracting said ring about said body when their work holder registers with said contracting device.

19. Apparatus for contracting a ring about a body, comprising in combination, a conveyor, a plurality of work holders carried by the conveyor, each having jaws operated in response to movement of the conveyor for properly locating the body in its work holder and for supporting the ring, a device for successively locating the ring relative to the body and contracting said ring about said body when their work holder registers with said contracting device, and means for ejecting the completed work from the work holders when the jaws are separated.

20. Apparatus for contracting a ring about a body comprising in combination, a conveyor, a plurality of Work holders carried by the conveyor, each having jaws operated in response to movement of the conveyor for properly locating the body in the work holder and for supporting the ring, and a device for contracting the ring about the body, said contracting device being operated in timed relation with the movement of the conveyor.

21. Apparatus for contracting a ring about a body, comprising in combination, a

conveyor, a plurality of work holders for supporting the body, said work holders being carried by the conveyor and each having jaws operated in response to movement of the con veyor for properly locating the body in its work holders and for supporting the ring, a

device for contracting the ring about the body, said contracting device being operated in timed relation with the movement of the conveyor, and means for ejecting the completed work from the work holders when the jaws are separated.

In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature.

ALVA W. PHELPS. 

